Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 58 — page 11: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

’ ee n him, and, advancing to he seated himself on a roll of furs, uneasy an icious. More than once he imagined he could hear the suppressed breathing of enemies concealed all around him; and even some of the rolls of furs seemed like foes, and appeared to be creeping toward him. These vagaries he endeavored to shake off, but the more he tried, the stronger mot grew —— him, until the horrible spell was suddenly broken by the dip of a dle. Rising to his feet and glancing shoreward, he discovered a long, clumsy-looking dug-out creep- ing out from the shadows of the north shore and moving obliquely down the river toward the flatboat. It contained but a ca occu- ogee strongly u he center of the nt, whom Bassett at once reco as Dick rout, the hunter. His presence was hailed with joy by the young man, for the hunter was one of those who went down with the island. It required but a few minutes for the scout to paddle the dug-out down to the raft, and hav- ing secured it alongside, by means of a rope, sprung onto the flatboat, and said: ‘** All alone are ye, Frank?’ ‘All alone, judge. The captain just went ashore with that ure gentleman, Alfonso De Ramee, of Fort Union, who is in this neigh- borhood with friends, and who is in trouble with the Indians. But, Dick, I never e to see one of you fellows alive again. ow many es- caped?’ Utwelve o’ the hull escaped the fight and the sinkin’ o’ the island, tho’ we all got a glorious duckin’. But see here, Frank,” and he plucked Bassett to one side, and, pointing down into the dug-out, said, in a w r—‘‘do you see ’em fellers?”’ Frank looked as directed, and, to his surprise, saw half-a-dozen dark forms lying motionless in the bottom of the craft. ‘“*'What does it mean, Dick?’ Bassett asked. ‘‘Mum’s the word,” replied Dick, nudging Frank; ‘‘they’re six o’ the boys come to save you and the boat.” ; “What do you mean, Trout?” ‘‘T mean this: thar’s five Injins this holy min- ute on this boat wrapped up among the robes and skins yander.” **' You're jesting, Dick!” ““Tt’s the Bible truth, Frank.” ‘““ How did they get on the boat? and how di you find out they were here?” ‘They got on at the island—crept out from under the bank. One Belzebub ble, the scout of the Milk Riverites, and a spy in the employ of the Big Horns, or some o’ them at least, put a bug in my ear, and so— ‘Sh! hark! —do ye hear that cricket chirrupin’? That’s the red devils’ — for the attack—ah! there they come! Up, boys, and fight like wild-cats!— ier whoop, hurra for the tigers o’ the Big orn!” Up from among the bundles of robes and skins sprung five Indians, and at the same in- stant Dick’s six secreted companions arose from the dug-out and leaped onto the raft. The next instant the din and clang of a des- perate hand-to-hand encounter thrilled out in startling echoes on the midnight air. CHAPTER XII. BELZY BUMBLE PUTS IN AN APPEARANCE. AFTER leaving the flat-boat, Foghorn Phil paddled his canoe rapidly back toward the sunken island, where savages and whites were struggling alike together with the tossing, foam- ing waves. Wherever he saw a head above the water, he paddled toward it, and if it was a friend, assistance was rendered. The first he found was Colonel Aylesworth, who was nearly exhausted, re, | n carried several feet under the water when the island disappeared. In aoe minutes = the survivors of the cat- astrophe were rescu ve were missing, and Foghorn Tela ow the captain, Frank Basset. wer Se eae we age carried away upon the raft a ginning of the ht; and eyes during the moments that had passed be- tween the time he had discovered enemies under the island, and the beginning of the fight, con- cluding with a slight intimation of there being a traitor in their party. But the latter was thrown out as a feeler. ou mout as well come out flat-foo Phil,” said Lute Soper. ‘I think jist as you do, that thar’s sumthin’ loose somewhar, and [ think we'll find it’s with Jake Du Busk.” aaa think Du Busk is an accessory,” replied “Then you think there is more than one trai- tor, dv you?” asked Colonel Aylesworth. The Border K ing. —_- -— ‘‘T’d almost risk my life on’t, colonel. The thing war all set up to snake us in on that is- land, afore we got there. that we war goin’ to land thar, and so the red varlets got under that island afore we got in site o’ it. Now look here; when Jake Du Busk went ashore as scout, it was understood that we'd keep on till the mouth o’ the Milk was passed; but gittin’ into trouble, we changed our notion and concluded to stop at that island, and done soin less thananhour. Now, the man that went ashore after we come to this conclusion, — before we got to the island is the trai- Vr ‘Then, by jinkers!” exclaimed Soper, “‘ Cap’n Rhymm is—’ en Me se ere silence was im upon the speaker the sound of a heavy body evenising shewigh the undergrowth near by, and before the party could decide upon any course of action, a man mee from the shrubbery and stopped before them. **Belzebub Bumble, by the a wars!” burst from the lips of Foghorn. ‘‘ For’d, Belzy! Your hand, ole boby—shake!” The two hunters greeted each other with a warmness that told of a feeling stronger than that of mere friendship, for they seemed to for- | get all else in the joy of their meeting. “This, boys,” Foghorn Phil said, turning to his companions, ‘‘is a dear ole friend o’ mine, His name’s Belzebub Bumble, and is as good a feller as ever drawed bead on a buck, or licked a knife across an Injin’s noddle.” Colonel Aylesworth and the traders greeted the scout in kind words, when Phil continued: “*Belzebub Bumble is to the Milk Riverites what I am to the Big Horners, and it’s through him that I’ve been kept posted as to the move- ments of his crew, who seem to hold a burnin’ spite at us ever since we beat ’em outen the Te- ton furs, last fall. But what’s in the wind, ole friend?” . ““ Death and deviltry, Phillip,” replied Bum- con "and a bit o’ news that beats the speckled ews. ‘“* What is it—what is it, Belzy?” ** A part o’ your crew and a part o’ mine are in cahoots, for all they make an awful fuss bout killin’ each other; and they arranged that both parties should meet hereaways "bout the same time, when the Milks war to have a trap set to nab the Big Horns. I jist found this out last night, and to-night I learned another that lays all others in the dark for hellish meazness. Nat Nogle, captain o’ the Milk Riverites, and as mean a man as ever wheezed, and one o’ your crew, employed one Alfonso Ramee, a noto- rious adventurer and renegade Sioux chief, to kidnap two girls from Fort Union, and the in- fernal scamp done it, too,” ‘Who were the girls, did you learn?’ asked Aylesworth. ‘* Josie Markham and Pauline Afton,” replied ort ped th lonel’s li oan esca the young colonel’s lips. “You needn’t take on, young man,” said Bum- ble, ‘‘ fur the "Res are safe, whatever they ma be to you. ey give Ramee the slip, and a ’em to an island near the mouth o’ the Mi They’re not over a mile from here, and we must hurry and get ’em away, for the Milk Riverites are encamped but a few rods below.” “Thank God they are safe!” exclaimed Ayles- worth, ‘‘and let us lose no time in going to their assistance. But, Bumble, who of our party is in league with the villains of yours!” ‘One that'll suffer for his meanness,” was the evasive reply. ‘I know’d you were to be attacked to-night by a party o’ Injins and Milk Riverites. I know’d, afore you did, that a pack o’ the knaves war under the island, but I could not leave the gals and git up here and warn you in time to prevent the attack, for all I done my level best, boys. But, boys, two of your men’s still in danger. Phil ave two o’ yer men, Captain poem tar and another chap, is on the flat-boat yet; and it’s them that’s in danger. Thar’s three Injins and two Milk Rivers on that boat this blessed minute, con- cealed among yer packs. They war there to run yer cargo off jist as soon as yer war at- tacked on the island, and as they got the “ tain and that other feller, they’ ll be apt to kill ’em unless you go to their assistance at onc’t.” ‘**T’m one that’s ready to go,” exclaimed Dick, and half a dozen others signified their readiness to accompany him. ‘**All right, boys,” said Bumble; ‘but I want Foghorn and this kernel man to go with me A traitor told ’em. | | | | arter the gals. You fellers can hurry down the ' river till you come to a little cove with a single tall tree at the edge of it. Thar ye’ll find along ole dug-out, in which ye can reach the flat-boat, 11 which is still; driftin’ on at the will o’’the cur- rent. The concealed devils were not to make the attack till opposite the mouth o’ the Milk, whar thar be others to help ’em.” Dick Trout and his companions at once turned and proceeded down the river, while Colonel Aylesworth and Foghorn Phil, led by Belzy Bumble, took their way across the narrow strip of woods lying between the Milk and Misscuri rivers. The emotion of fear and suspense in the breast of Colonel Aylesworth had now become almost agonizing, as he thought of his betrothed, and the danger with which she was surround And the nearer they approached to the place where Bumble had left the maidens, the stronger the conviction became impressed upon him that those red sleuth-hounds of the forest had hunt- ed them down, and carried them away to an unknown fate! CHAPTER XIIT. THE LEAGUE OF THREE. WE will now return to the three females whom we left on the island, in such close proxim- ity to Alfonso De Ramee, Nat Nogle, and an- other person, whom we will eventually make own. Huddled together, the three women scarcely breathed, through fear of being discovered; and with dilated eyes they watched the three men. The latter appe to move without caution and soon as they had landed, proceeded inland and seated themselves on the very log where Pauline and Josie had sat a few minutes before. From this point the females could hear every word ken, for the men spoke in un ed tones; they seemed to be under the influence of or. ‘Now, Alfonso,” said Nat Nogle, captain of the Milk River Traders, “let us hear your story *bout them girls, and if it’s a fair one, I’m Honea to pay you half the price offered for em. ‘* Well,” replied De Ramee, “the Govern- ment steamer lying at Fort Union brought a — of excursionists up the Missouri to within j miles of here, and among the number were the objects of your affections, Misses Mark- and Afton. “‘The matter of a buffalo-hunt had been agitated and prepared for before we left the fort. I knew that a party of ladies would ac- company the hunters, and was well satisfied that Markham and Afton would be among the number. So, before the departure of the steam- er, I communicated with my spy outlying near the fort, and he at once bore a message to my Indians, who were to be in the vicinity of the Two Buttes at a certain time. ** As it happened no ladies, except Afton and Markham, accompanied the y; and even they would not have gone had it not been that Miss Josephine had a brother in the party, and so concluded it would not be unbecoming of her to ride with him. ‘Well, we reached the buffalo country, and sure enough found a large herd of buffalo. During the chase, I managed to get the girls away by a little maneuvering, and led Geet right toward the point where a signal had told me my Indians were encamped; but in the ve moment of my victory, what should that little spit-fire, Pauline, do, but out with a revolver and shoot my horse under me; then they turned, and away they went.” A low, silent laugh burst from the lips of the villain’s companions. ‘*Well, we pursued them,” continued De Ra- mee, ‘‘ but somehow or other they got away in the woods and darkness. We found their horses a short ways down the river, riderless. Where they are, I can’t say; though Grill declares he saw a man ina canoe near this island with two women; but of course, Grill’s such a liar that we never listen to him, and so that’s my story.” The females shuddered, and inwardly thanked the fates that had made Grill such an unreliable souree of information. ‘Now, Roche,” said Nogle, addressing his other companion, ‘‘ let’s hear your story.” ‘‘ Bottle first,” said De Ramee, producing a large bottle, from which the three drank freely. ‘There now, I can easier,” said the man addressed as Roche, smacking his lips with high gusto. At sound of this man’s voice, a sigh moe Josie Markham’s lips, and a shudder con her sd , ‘* Now, listen,” said Anamosa, whispering in her ear, ‘‘and you shall hear the man whom I have overheard breathing words of love in your ear wi the shadows of a clump of oolbene woods near Fort Union.” ‘ IJOO Gomie “S (E(0)